Fianna Fáil’s four MEPs will “reflect” as well as engage with European colleagues ahead of a vote on whether or not Ursula von der Leyen should return as European Commission president, Tánaiste Micheál Martin has suggested.
The Irish Government is backing Ms von der Leyen to return as commission president. However, awkwardly for the Coalition Fianna Fáil’s MEPs Barry Andrews, Barry Cowen, Billy Kelleher and Cynthia Ní Mhurchú all said during the European Election campaign that they would not vote for Ms von der Leyen should they get elected to the European Parliament.
This came amid concern over her support for Israel – widely seen as unqualified – in the immediate aftermath of the October 7th Hamas attacks.
Mr Martin was asked on Friday if he was concerned that the four MEPs’ public statements that they would vote against Ms von der Leyen would lead to a less senior or less desirable role for former finance minister Michael McGrath in the next commission.
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The Fianna Fáil leader said: “Well the vote hasn’t happened yet and two things have happened since the election of substance.” He said that the first was that “an agreement has been reached between the EPP [European People’s Party] and the Socialist group and the Renew/Alde group, of which Fianna Fáil are members, and that agreement means that Ursula von der Leyen has emerged as the unanimous choice of the EU Council”.
He said the second was that Mr McGrath has been nominated by the Government to be Ireland’s commissioner.
Mr Martin said there were issues that arose during the election campaign. “I feel that our MEPs will reflect on this and will perhaps engage on some of the issues and will talk to their broader party within Europe. And so it’s some distance yet before there will be a vote. So I think there will be some reflection and some engagement.”
Asked if he expects the MEPs to publicly say they will back Ms von der Leyen in the European Parliament vote, he replied: “I respect their positions and, as I said, there will be engagement.”
None of Fianna Fáil’s four MEPs responded to attempts to contact them on Friday.
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